


An Embrace in the Light

by siriusmistake



Category: Zombies Run!
Genre: Gen, Mute Runner Five, No Plot, Non-Binary Runner Five, Other, excessive sensory detail
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-29
Updated: 2015-08-29
Packaged: 2018-04-17 21:44:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4682489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/siriusmistake/pseuds/siriusmistake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I tried to summarize my feelings about A Voice in the Dark, and I accidentally wrote fic instead. No spoilers beyond S1M7. </p>
<p>A companion to <a href="http://siriusmistake.tumblr.com/post/126627500975/ive-got-you-runner-five-youre-home-pssst#">this drawing</a>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Embrace in the Light

Sam sighed and dragged a hand down his face. He turned away from the door where a concerned colleague had just informed him that the gates were shut and urged him to go to bed, and went back to staring at the blue glow of the broken scanner. He had spent the whole night keeping his voice going over the radio in the scant hope that it would lead his missing runner home, and had heard nothing but static in response.

He was so exhausted that he wasn’t sure he could even remember anything he’d said, but as he bitterly scrubbed away tears, he reminded himself that it didn’t matter now - the only possible witness to his guilt and despair was surely dead or worse.

He suddenly noticed the area outside his shack buzzing with whispered rumors. He started to reiterate that there was nothing new to report since the scanner was down, but when he saw the spark of hope in the other radio operator’s eyes, his heart began to race. He whipped around to squint with bated breath at the one screen that might answer his hopes - the camera that was trained on the darkness of the woods just beyond the gate.

It showed an impossible sight: the fuzzy outline of Runner Five, sprinting as hard as they could toward the perimeter wall of Abel Township. Sam’s heart leapt into his throat; he let out a strangled cry then began sputtering encouragement into the microphone, barely aware of what he was saying - there was a pack of zombies right behind them, they were still in danger, but they were THERE and they were so close…

“Raise the gates!” Not waiting for a response from the guards, he yanked his headset off and flung it aside before dashing out of the comms shack and clattering down the stairs, his feet pounding on each step, making enough noise to wake the entire township if the blaring gate siren and gunshots hadn’t already.

Sam met the runner just as they made it through the entrance. “I’ve got you, Runner Five!” he shouted as he careened into them, flinging his arms around their neck and burying his face in their shoulder. “You’re home,” he murmured, clinging to his friend as if they could vanish at any moment.

~~~

Sam’s firm embrace was the only thing keeping Five from collapsing to the ground. Squeezing their eyes shut, they wrapped their arms around him and hugged him back just as tight, feeling their hearts pound in sync and their breathing relax.

They barely registered a weary Maxine arriving at the scene while the heavy steel gates descended behind them. As she gently scolded Sam for coming into contact with the runner before they’d been examined for bites or injuries, Five finally looked up. The contrast of the bright defense tower floodlights compared to the darkness of the night in the woods left them blinking. They felt a soft tug at their back; Sam reluctantly moved his arms long enough for a gatekeeper to take the bulky backpack from Five’s shoulders and carry it away for inventory, as well as removing their headset so it could be taken to the charging station. Then the doctor took over, leading them toward the hospital. The gate siren finally quit, leaving nothing but the sound of crickets chirping in the still air.

Five had no idea how they managed to make it all the way to the clinic. All they knew was Sam didn’t let go of them until they were safe inside and seated on a cot, and the doctor finally shooed him away from her patient. He stayed close, fretfully wringing Five’s hand while Maxine worked.

She completed the routine post-mission check-up, asking a few simple questions that mostly required only a nod or shake of the head as an answer. Meanwhile, Sam grumbled about Janine’s responsibility in this mess. Maxine’s patient response missed Five’s ears as they strained to remember the sound of Janine’s instructions; that day’s mission briefing seemed like years ago, in another lifetime, separated from the present by the darkness of that long night.

Sam finally took a seat, leaning back against the wall with a shaky sigh that betrayed his frayed nerves. Seeing the dark circles under his eyes caused a pang in Five’s heart, and they gave his hand a comforting squeeze. His eyes remained closed, but the wrinkle in his forehead smoothed slightly. After the doctor declared Five healthy, she urged them both to get some rest, assuring them that they would have the next day off.

~~~

The sky was just beginning to lighten at the edges; soon the sun would peek over the horizon and the earliest birds would greet the oncoming morning, while the members of the township woke to prepare for that day’s excursions or receive their assigned work rotation. For now, there was a hush over the base, its residents remaining blissfully unaware, cradled in the pre-dawn semidarkness.

Sam and Five parted ways with the doctor and headed toward the lodging, staggering on leaden feet along the path that passed by Janine’s quiet farmhouse. The last of the adrenaline had worn off, leaving in its place a bone-deep exhaustion that threatened to consume them before they made it to their respective sleeping quarters.

They reached the squat building that huddled in the shadow of the comms tower, where the runners and radio operators resided. Sam fumbled at the doorknob of the entrance, struggling to keep his eyes open. At his side, Five shook slightly from the effort to remain standing. Moving into the gloom of the complex, they proceeded past rooms of sleeping runners before arriving at the space he shared with Jack and Eugene, who had resumed transmission of their nighttime radio show in spite of the hours-long delay. Sam stopped at his door, and glanced toward the end of the hall, where Five’s room was, then looked back up at his friend.

“D-d'you want to… I mean, you could…” Sam stuttered, fatigue slurring his important question. Understanding his meaning, Five looked him in the eye and nodded before putting a hand over his on the doorknob and pushing the door open. They shared a small, tired smile, then entered the room.

As Sam turned to shut the door, Five covered the last few steps to the bed and tumbled into it without even taking off their shoes. Sam wanted nothing more than to follow, but first he sat gingerly at the end of the bed and tugged at their shoelaces, dropping the muddy trainers to the floor before toeing off his own sneakers and kicking the whole pile under the bed. He then moved toward the shabby pillow, where the already dozing Five was curled on their side. As he brought the threadbare blanket up to cover both of their shoulders, they let out a sleepy sigh and cuddled closer into the warmth and safety of his arms, completely relaxed and at peace for the first time that night. With a smile, he kissed their forehead and finally let his own eyelids slide shut as he sank into unconsciousness.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction ever \o/
> 
> More fanart and general flailing can be found at siriusmistake.tumblr.com


End file.
